Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'vaticinate'

English Word: vaticinate

Key Russian Translations:

• предсказывать [prʲɪd.nʲɪˈskazɨ.vatʲ] - [Formal, Verb]
• пророчить [prə.rɐˈt͡ɕ.itʲ] - [Literary, Verb, Used in poetic or historical contexts]

Frequency: Low (This word and its translations are rarely used in everyday conversation, more common in academic, prophetic, or literary texts.)

Difficulty: Advanced (C1 level; requires familiarity with Russian verb conjugations and nuanced vocabulary, as 'предсказывать' and 'пророчить' involve imperfective aspects and formal registers.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

предсказывать: [prʲɪd.nʲɪˈskazɨ.vatʲ]

пророчить: [prə.rɐˈt͡ɕ.itʲ]

Note on предсказывать: The stress falls on the third syllable ('ska-'), which can be tricky for English speakers due to the soft consonants; practice with native audio for accurate rolling of 'r' sounds.

Note on пророчить: This word has a softer, more emphatic pronunciation in literary contexts; the 'ч' sound is palatalized, similar to 'ch' in 'church' but with a Russian twist.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To foretell or prophesy future events, often with a sense of divine or intuitive insight.

Translation(s) & Context:

• предсказывать - Used in formal or scientific contexts, such as predicting weather or economic trends.
• пророчить - Employed in literary, religious, or historical contexts, implying a more mystical or prophetic connotation.

Usage Examples:

• Он всегда предсказывает будущие тенденции в технологиях. (He always predicts future trends in technology.)

  English Translation: He always vaticinates future trends in technology.

• Древние пророки пророчат конец света в своих текстах. (Ancient prophets vaticinate the end of the world in their texts.)

  English Translation: Ancient prophets foretell the end of the world in their texts.

• Астролог предсказывает удачу в бизнесе для этого года. (The astrologer vaticinates success in business for this year.)

  English Translation: The astrologer predicts success in business for this year.

• В романе автор пророчит революцию, которая изменит общество. (In the novel, the author vaticinates a revolution that will change society.)

  English Translation: In the novel, the author prophesies a revolution that will change society.

• Она предсказывает погоду на основе старых народных примет. (She vaticinates the weather based on old folk signs.)

  English Translation: She predicts the weather based on old folk signs.

Meaning 2: To make a bold or intuitive guess about the future, often with less formality.

Translation(s) & Context:

• предсказывать - In casual predictions, but still formal compared to English slang.

Usage Examples:

• Мой друг предсказывает, что мы выиграем в лотерее. (My friend vaticinates that we will win the lottery.)

  English Translation: My friend predicts that we will win the lottery.

• Экономист предсказывает спад в рынке. (The economist vaticinates a downturn in the market.)

  English Translation: The economist foretells a downturn in the market.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are verbs and follow Russian conjugation patterns. 'Предсказывать' is an imperfective verb, meaning it describes ongoing or repeated actions, while 'пророчить' is also imperfective but often used in perfective contexts with nuances.

Note: These verbs do not have irregular forms but follow standard first-conjugation patterns. They remain unchanged in the infinitive and can be aspectually paired (e.g., 'предсказать' as the perfective for 'предсказывать').

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • предвидеть (to foresee; more intuitive than предсказывать)
  • предугадывать (to anticipate; used for quick guesses)
  • пророчествовать (to prophesy formally; similar to пророчить but more ecclesiastical)
• Antonyms:
  • сомневаться (to doubt)
  • непредвидеть (to not foresee)

Related Phrases:

• Предсказывать будущее (To vaticinate the future) - A common phrase for fortune-telling or prophecy.
• Пророчить беду (To prophesy doom) - Used to warn of impending disaster, often in dramatic contexts.
• Предсказывать погоду (To predict the weather) - Everyday usage in meteorology or folklore.

Usage Notes:

'Vaticinate' corresponds closely to 'предсказывать' in formal English-Russian translation, but 'пророчить' adds a layer of mysticism not always present in the English term. Use 'предсказывать' for scientific or everyday predictions, and reserve 'пророчить' for literary or religious scenarios. Be mindful of aspect in Russian: always pair with perfective forms like 'предсказать' for completed actions. English speakers often overuse 'предсказывать' in casual speech, where a simpler verb like 'думать' (to think) might suffice.

Common Errors:

• Error: Confusing the imperfective and perfective aspects, e.g., using 'предсказывать' for a one-time event instead of 'предсказать'.

  Correct: Он предсказал погоду на завтра. (He vaticinated the weather for tomorrow.)

  Explanation: 'Предсказать' indicates a completed action, while 'предсказывать' implies ongoing prediction.

• Error: Over-literal translation, e.g., saying 'я пророчу' in casual conversation when 'я предсказываю' is more appropriate.

  Correct: Я предсказываю, что будет дождь. (I vaticinate that it will rain.)

  Explanation: 'Пророчить' sounds overly dramatic and is best for formal or literary use.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'пророчить' evoke traditions of folklore and Orthodox Christianity, where prophets and seers play significant roles in literature (e.g., in works by Dostoevsky). 'Предсказывать' is more neutral and ties into modern science, reflecting Russia's emphasis on rational prediction in fields like space exploration.

Related Concepts:

• предсказание (prophecy)
• пророк (prophet)
• астрология (astrology)